Gates to Freedom
by Iridescent.Flames
Summary: Fighting on the streets against a pack of wolves, half starved, and alone; that was survival. It was survival and it was freedom.
1. Nothing but a pack of dogs!

Kiba walked around the desolate streets of the dying island city. His mind swirling with thoughts about Paradise and the harsh comments made by Tsume.

_Is he right? Have I spent my life searching for a place that doesn't exist? _

He shook his head, shaking his shaggy hair around his face. Kiba wasn't sure what it was, but something deep within him denied those thoughts. His feelings were so strong, but why didn't the others have the same feelings? Why didn't they feel the tugging that directed him towards the path to paradise?

Kiba's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of muffled applause. The building the noise came out of looked uninhabited and decrepit, yet light peeked from underneath the door and through the cracks in the shut curtains. Kiba slinked cautiously towards the window, crouch low beneath it before peeking inside. He could easily make out a giant area, filled with humans about twenty feet below the balcony which held the window and door and was also filled with cheering humans. Kiba peered anxiously over the human's head and saw the cleared space in the center of the room. Two humans stood on either side, each hold snarling, vicious looking canines. His eyes widened as the animals were released and began brutally attacking each other. The crowed roared with excitement.

/ / /

I felt bone crushing between my teeth, the blaring sounds of cheering and screaming drowning out the squeal of pain. The dog's leg went limp underneath my muzzle but my opponent still trashed wildly to escape from my jaws. I felt claws tearing desperately at my shoulders as I unclenched my teeth from the mauled leg. My hind leg kicked out and swiped the dog across the neck with deadly claws. I turned and slammed the heavily injured body into the ground, my jaws hovering over the exposed, bloody throat. Cheers exploded from the crowd. Blood dripped onto the tile and shrieks of pain and fear came from underneath me. I held the pin almost effortlessly and wait for the signal. The audience gradually silenced, whoops and cheers occasionally escaping an overly excited observer.

Finally, silence enveloped the crowd and made the sounds of my growls and the desperate struggles of my opponent echo loudly through the small space. A loud, high pitched whistle ripped through my ear drums. I glanced at the suddenly still dog underneath my paws, his once vicious eyes clouding over. I mercilessly buried my fangs into his jugular, his body giving one final spasm before becoming completely limp beneath me. People clapped, they cheered, they shook hands, they exchanged money.

Three men walked into the arena, one pushed me off the corpse and dragged it out. I growled lowly at the two left, my tail raised stiffly and my adrenaline still coursing through me. They grabbed hold of me, one at my scruff and straddling my back, clutching my sides with his thighs. The other clamped a hand around my muzzle, attaching a leather shock collar around my neck. Immediately, a warning shock ripped through me and I froze, allowing the man to slip a strong metal muzzle around my mouth. My body reacted quickly, easing into submission. They practically drug me from the arena, tugging fiercely on my leash causing the chain collar to clench tightly around my throat. I hobbled along on three legs, my front one raised close to my chest and pulsing with pain from the claw marks in my shoulder.

"Move it, Bitch!" the man ordered while ripping the muzzle from my mouth and shoving me into a high walled pen. I fell harshly onto my injured shoulder and clenched my teeth together in pain. The dirt clung to my fur and invaded into the slashes. I rolled to my other side and tried to turn my head to lick my wounds. The only thing that did was stretch them a bit wider and cause me more pain. They weren't deep but they were in an awkward place and reopened every time I moved even in the slightest. The wound would heal quickly if I didn't agitate it too much. Sighing, I gave up and flopped my head on the ground.

I awoke to the sound of scraping metal. Two tiny doors were being open and food and water were thrown carelessly into the dishes below them. Half of the water spilled onto the ground, but the food was a generous amount of meat scraps. I carefully pushed myself to my paws and limped quickly over to the meal. I sniffed it anxiously, trying to detect any drugs or other impurities. All I could smell was the slightly rancid flavor of the meat and the coppery scent of the water. I sighed once more and dug in with almost no enthusiasm. I'd been here over a year and I still could barely swallow down the food I was given. But it was all I got, so I forced it down. I chewed slowly, cherishing the simple feel of it smashing through my teeth and sliding down my throat. I welcomed the feel of dead meat between my jaws, free of fur and thrashing and violence. I savored the gradual feel of my stomach becoming almost full. I finished each bowl and licked them spotless before settling down in the dirt again.

/ / /

_"They will come for you," a beautiful voice spoke quietly. _

_ "They? Who is they? Who are you?" I questioned, my claws clenching frantically into the ice beneath me. I whipped my head around, searching in the snow and ice for the speaker. The blizzard tore wildly through my fur causing my claws to dig deeper. A sweet smell wafted in the air. _

_ "What do you mean? Tell me!" I screamed. _

_ "Do not fear them, they will help you. But only if you let them," the voice answered. _

_ "Help me how? And how will I know-" a sharp gust of wind blew in my face._

_ "Trust your instincts," the voice interrupted. _

My eyes opened slowly and I blinked away the dust on my lashes. I shivered at the thought of the blizzard in my dream. I dismissed it from my mind though and began to stretch my sore muscles. I glanced at my shoulder and noticed the closed, healing wound. By tomorrow, it would be nothing more than another scarred memory.

My ears picked up the sound of paws lightly hitting the floor, but I ignored it and began licking away the blood that had dripped down my leg. The stench of blood filled my nostrils, but then suddenly another more pleasant smell filled my senses. I slowly turned my head and outside my pen stood a wolf.

"What the hell?" I whispered, squinting my eyes and then shaking my head trying to clear away what I thought was a mirage or dream. But no matter what I did, there he stood in his tall, proud stance. His head was held high and he looked down his muzzle at me with vibrant eyes. I stood and walked cautiously near him, our eyes trailing each other.

"Who are you?" I asked, my brows furrowed. His eyes stared straight at me, almost through me. But he gave me no answer.

"Why are you here?" I prodded.

"Why the hell are _you _here?" He questioned viciously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled, agitated that I couldn't get a simple answer from this guy.

"What are you doing in this place? Used by humans for their entertainment! It's sickening!" He snapped at me, his muscles bunched tightly in anger.

"You think I'm here by choice? Wow, you must be an idiot," I chuckled lightly, then sat and began to lick the blood off my paw.

"What did you say to me?" He yelled, growling low.

"I said you're an idiot. Look, just tell me what you want. I'm exhausted and could really use a nap right about now," I said, still licking at my fur.

"I want to know why you're letting yourself be controlled by these pathetic humans. Don't you have any pride as a wolf? You're tamed just like a mangy dog," He accused and crouched low to the floor after hearing something far off. I growled, set my paw on the ground testing the weight it could hold before limping closer to him. I stuck my face near the thick metal fencing and stared him straight in the eye.

"I didn't choose to be here. Do you honestly believe anyone, even a dog would enjoy being here? If I could get out, I would have a long time ago. But, even if I did there's nothing out there for me. The humans hunt down our kind. It's not safe out there for us. I can hide here and be fed as long as I keep winning my fights. No dog stands a chance against a wolf," I said, glaring fiercely at him.

"You're no more a wolf than the dogs that you kill," He spat. A nasty growl ripped from my throat.

"You better watch what you say," I warned him. The other dogs began to get more irritable. They had for the most part cowered at the presence of the wolf, but when they heard my growl they were trained to react. Barks and growls exploded from the corridor and the sounds of yelling humans approached. When I looked back to the wolf, he was gone. I searched down the hallway and found him stalking behind the closed door. Two humans came in, screaming and banging sticks against the caged pens.

One stopped in from of mine and I immediately quieted my growls. He slammed the door open and walked towards me. I crouched low as he tugged the muzzle back over my mouth. I growled and shook my head uncomfortably at the unforgiving metal, receiving a powerful shock and a whack to the temple. I barked painfully and lower my head, my body twitching mildly as an aftereffect of the shock. A leash was attached to my chain collar and I was led out of my pen. I looked down the hall, my vision shaking. The wolf was slinking carefully out the door. He stopped suddenly, looked me in the eyes with an unreadable expression and then shook his head as I was yanked harshly in the opposite direction.

My carefully manicured claws clicked loudly through the hall, once again alerting every dog in the area. Vicious barks and growls followed me as I sedately walked beside the man. I gave the dogs no response and continued my trek. Each step was echoed by the sound of teeth gnashing or crazed growling and the smell of blood from jaws trying to rip through the metal to attack the others and I. The man leading me yelled at them, adding to the chaos. He snatched a baton from his waist and smashed a paw that reach through its cage. The dog yelped pathetically and hobbled into the back corner of the cage, licking at its paw but still growling lowly in my direction, foam spitting from his jaws. I shook my head disbelievingly.

_I'm nothing like them. That mangy bastard has no idea what he's talking about. _

/ / /

Kiba practically stomped his way through the town. He had no idea where he was going, but he was livid with emotion. His thoughts were going haywire and he couldn't stop the visions of blood and metal flashing through his mind. He thought the two collars that the she-wolf wore around her neck were bad enough, but a muzzle. That was just down right degrading.

"Why the long face? Given up on going to paradise?" One of the mangy wolves said to him as he passed by their bonfire huddle.

"It's not safe for a kid to wander around by himself, ya know?" A wolf mocked.

"You should move with your pack!" Said another. Kiba halted, his agitation growing.

"What are you guys doing, just standing around with no purpose?" Kiba questioned harshly.

"What'd you say?" The first wolf asked angrily.

"I know why you weren't able to get to paradise," Kiba stated, "The wolves in this town are nothing but a pack of _dogs_!"

"Why you little punk," The wolf replied, him and his pack advancing towards him.

Kiba stood his ground, growling at the wolves. The emotions from the day flooded through him. Anger, frustration, humiliation, desperation, and aggravation rushed through his head. That she-wolf, she didn't know what fighting for your survival meant. Fighting on the streets against a pack of wolves, half starved, and alone; that was survival. It was survival and it was _freedom_.


	2. I was never used by them

Talk of the train coming into town had been flying around for the past week. For the humans, it meant provisions. For the dogs and wolves, it meant work and agony.

But what could I do? This damn shock collar was strong enough to completely paralyze me and there was no way I'd be able to tear through the muzzle either. These humans had dealt with me long enough to know which metals I could break through and what could hold up against my powerful jaws. There was no escape for me. I was a captive slave to the humans. I used to resist everything; I would growl at a simple glance from a human. But my self-preservation quickly squashed those actions, that and this damn collar cinched around my neck. I could feel the metal prongs digging warningly into my neck as the human led me into another corridor.

It was still late in the evening and I knew the train wouldn't be here until around sunrise. Although, I didn't have long to think about where we were going. A surprised yelp escaped my lips as I was quickly tugged into a cramped office. A large man sat in a worn armchair, smoking a thin cigarette. A woman stood at his side, a leashed burly dog at her side. The smoke drifted throughout the room and into my sinuses, causing me to sniffle a bit. I was guided to stand in front of the lounging man.

"She's our best. Hasn't lost a fight yet. I think she's more than enough to settle the debt," My handler spoke confidently. I stiffened in distress.

_Damn it, they're trying to bargain me off! Who the hell is this guy? _

"This bitch is the best you've got?" The large man asked sarcastically. I growled under my breath and the burly dog snarled back.

"You saw the videos that we sent you!" My handler defended, his grip tightening on my leash.

"Yes well, I'll decide how good this bitch of yours is myself." The man snapped his fingers once and the dog hurdled straight towards me, his jaws poised to kill. My handler didn't have time to react. The dog tackled me, causing my leash to be ripped from the handler and began attempting to rip my throat out. His teeth were snapping but I held back his neck by digging my paw into his throat. I tried to bite back before I realized I still had the muzzle around my jaws. Growling in frustration, I heaved the dog over my head with my hind legs and flipped onto my feet. Blood dripped from the claw marks on his stomach and I could feel the liquid running down various parts of my body. I went to my left, carefully stalking around him. He turned sharply, trying to always keep me in his vision yet he knew not to make the first move. He was well trained.

I began to quickly jog my circle around him, causing him to pivot more quickly. Suddenly, I shifted and turned the opposite direction. He confidently turned with me thinking I would only fake once. Immediately, I faked again and sped quickly to his exposed side. I ripped my claws from shoulder to hip then quickly sprinted away. He yelped in pain and I stood across from him, crouched and panting lightly.

He turned to me and snarled viciously, charging towards me. I jumped to the side and he followed me, then I quickly rolled back the way we had come and slashed the side of his neck. His teeth grazed my legs as I pulled my claws away from the wound and rolled again to get to my feet. Before I could though, I was tugged roughly back and felt claws tear through my stomach. I swiped my paws across his muzzle and he cried out in pain and released the leash that he had used to trap me. I quickly rolled to my feet and growled.

This time, shock did not hinder him for long. He charged once more, attempting to slash me with his claws. I shifted out of the way, but then his head smashed into my own in a vicious head butt. My vision swam as I shook my head, delirious. He was unaffected and tore his claws from knee to ankle on my hind leg. I yelp and then jumped away. As I landed, I stumbled slightly on my injured leg. My exhaustion was quickly catching up with me, my wounds from last night now throbbing with sore and tense muscles. I pushed my pain to the back of my mind and replaced it with adrenaline.

Finally, I snarled once and then quickly began a haphazard, random zigzag toward him. He charged towards me once again. We clashed in midair, my claws ripping brutally at his throat and his jaws clamped around the scruff of my neck. I let out a quick squeal as he shook his head, ripping around the thick skin and then tossed me roughly across the room into an end table.

"This is the best you've got? This bitch isn't worth anything!" The fat man rumbled with laughter, the growling of his dog advancing towards me. "Kill it, Rock." The fat man commanded while taking a drag on his cigarette.

I waiting until the dog had his jaws poised over my throat before I acted. I swung my head around and slammed into this neck, effectively throwing him into a jagged piece of the broken end table. The wood punctured through his jugular. His blue eyes widened in pain as blood gushed out from between his jaws, he trashed for a minute before becoming still, his body limp around the stake. I stood on shaky, exhausted, and injured legs. Giant puffs of breath pushing through the metal muzzle. The three humans in the room were still, blinking in shock at the outcome. My handler cautiously walked up to me and grabbed a hold of my dragging leash. I tensed and growled at him before being silenced by a jolt of electricity.

"I think she will be adequate payment. Put her on the train coming in this morning." The large man stood. He dropped his cigarette butt onto the ground and left through the door with only his female assistant. His dog's carcass lay across the room, seeping blood into the carpet.

/ / /

Hige walked through town, rubbing a finger under his delicate nose to stop a sneeze. This whole city was like an abandoned attic, filled with dust and grime. Every alley way was stacked with trash and he had yet to see a human walking out on the streets.

_Wonder where the others ended up last night. _

As Hige walked into the large train station, his thoughts were answered. Toboe and Tsume were curled up on a bench. They were exhausted and hungry. But they wouldn't be if they had just ate some of the food Cole had offered. It would be rude to let it go to waste. Especially in a town like this where they seemed to hide their food. Cole said they could get food here, but Hige didn't see or smell anything. The humans milled about below, inspecting cargo and checking off lists.

"Hige?" Toboe questioned as he sat upright. Tsume slowly awoke next to him.

"Word is, they'll give us some food here," Hige told his sleepy companions.

"What about…?" Tsume grumbled incoherently.

"Kiba, you mean? I don't know. He never did come back," Hige answered. They were quiet for a while, Toboe wearily rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Suddenly, the smell of wolf wafted through Hige's nose. He walked over to the balcony, wondering what was going on. Toboe and Tsume follow him with bemused expressions. Zali handed over his wolves to a human who strapped them into harnesses connect to a trolley of cargo.

"What are they doing?" Hige asked.

A whip cracked and the wolves pushed, hauling the cargo up the ramp. Their bodies shook with effort and their tongues panted heavily. The three wolves looked on in horror and disgust and then noticed Zali beside them.

"What the hell is going on down there?" Tsume demanded. Zali gave him no reply as they all watched the dogs collapse in exhaustion and then viciously swallow down scraps of almost rancid meat. Gramps was too exhausted to even fight for his share of food. Suddenly, a snarl ripped through the station. Every head whipped towards the street entrance and Zali clenched his fist around the railing. A female wolf was dragged in hissing, growling, and occasionally yelping in pain. Multiple humans attempted to wrangle her, but she struggled like a wild mustang. Her coat was matted with dirt and blood and the metal clenched around her mouth glinted brightly in the light.

"Tsume, what are they doing to her?" Toboe asked almost pleading with his friend.

"Start talking, mister," Tsume barked to Zali.

"The train makes a quick stop. It gives the humans and us a chance to eat. It's the only way we can all make a living out here. We work for them and they feed us," Zali explained.

"Scratching each other's back. Just like you, Tsume. You used to do the same thing," Hige said.

"I may have used them, but I was never used by them," Tsume snapped.

Toboe stared at the scene below him, his eyes wide.

"And her? Why the hell is she here? What happened to her?" Hige exploded with questions.

"She fights dogs for the human's entertainments. She's not a part of my pack and is not my responsibility," Zali answered looking down at the struggling female, his eyes almost showing pity.

"So wolves are entertainment now?" Tsume snarled.

"Your opinion doesn't change a damn thing," Zali scolded. Toboe gasped, causing the other to whip their head in the direction he was staring at.

"Gramps is in serious trouble!" Hige exclaimed, eyes trained on the stumbling old wolf. He fell once, attempted to rise to his feet and then collapsed, unmoving onto the ground.

Zali groaned as a shadow flickered and Kiba emerged from an entrance. Kiba stood rigid, staring at the dead wolf and then at the still struggling female being shoved into a tiny metal cage. She snarled once before let out a great squeal and fell heavily on the cage floor, her body spasming erratically. With a great roar, Kiba charged.


	3. Lend me a fang?

This wasn't exactly how I planned my escape to be. I thought I would get out in a blaze of glory and carnage. But I ended up limping away through the shadows like a frightened pup, my muzzle and collar still tightly fastened. I didn't have much choice though. When that white wolf freaked out I knew it would be the only time the humans would be distracted enough.

I always imagined that when I finally escaped from the humans it would be wonderful and I would be happy and empowered. But honestly I was scared, hurt, and cold. The city was on an island and the only way to get off was to go on the train tracks. But the humans would know that I would have to go that way and be waiting for me. The city wasn't safe either. It was small and there weren't many places to hide. I was stuck skirting the frozen city edge, crawling into damp holes for protection, hoping that I was staying out of range of the collar's remote.

_I can't hide away in holes forever. But dammit, I can barely move right now. _

I curled my body closer into itself and place my fluffy tail over my cold, dry nose. My ears flicked up at the sounds of someone approaching. I laid completely still, too exhausted to try and fight or scare them away. I figured if they were human they wouldn't notice me and if they were a wolf or dog they would ignore me. Neither of these happened.

A wet, brown nose brushed against my fur causing me to snarl through my muzzle. The snout pulled away sharply.

"Whoa, chill out. I'm not gonna hurt ya. Hey, over here," A warm, tenor voice said. A set of light steps padded their way over.

"Did you find her? Is she okay?" A second, higher voice questioned rapidly.

"Hey, you alright? You can come out now. We're here to help you," The first voice spoke encouragingly. He nudged his nose against me again and I once again snarled, my exhaustion making me irrational. The wolf yelped and pulled back again.

"It's alright, Lady. We saw what happened at the train station," The higher voice said softly. A different, thinner muzzle reached into the crevasse.

The wolf tried to encourage me with small whimpers and he lightly brushed his nose against my fur, rubbing against the wounds on my scruff. I twitched with a jolt of pain and suddenly lashed out towards him, my claws swiping out viciously. He squealed and scampered back abruptly, stumbling over his large paws. The other, larger wolf jumped protectively in front of his whimpering friend.

"Let's go, Runt," The large wolf commanded as I slunk back into my hole. I continued to growl ferociously as I curled back into my protective ball, my golden eyes glaring over the fur of my tail.

The large wolf nudged the other to his feet, herding him away. I finally relaxed as I saw their tails disappear behind a large pile of rocks. My eyes stayed wide open, adrenaline and fear coursing through me like a river.

/ / /

"But, Hige. She's hurt," Toboe said rubbing his nose.

"Yeah and we'll be worse off if we keep buggin' her. She doesn't want our help, Runt. Just leave it," Hige said, crossing his arms behind his head. Toboe looked at the blood on his fingers.

"If you say so. I'm going to go see if I can find some food this way, okay?" Toboe sighed, crawling over a particularly large grave stone.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't go off too far," Hige said, plopping down to lounge in a shaded area.

"Kay," Toboe replied over his shoulder, before sprinting off.

/ / /

Toboe approached the hole cautiously, a tiny slab of meat hanging from his jaws. He took slow steps, his eyes trained on the unmoving ball of multi-colored fur. He reached as close as he dared, stretched his neck and lightly tossed the meat in front of where he assumed the wolf's face was. The wolf twitched and then became still again. Toboe backed up cautiously and sat down a safe distance away.

He glanced at the sky, gauging the time to be about mid-afternoon. When he looked back at the wolf, two harsh golden eyes stared back at him.

"Um, hi! I'm Toboe," He began enthusiastically.

"What are you doing here?" The she-wolf questioned sharply, her voice slightly muffled.

"I, uh, thought you could use some food. Your wounds looked pretty bad," Toboe replied, crouching submissively at her surprisingly, powerful voice. Her nose peek out from under her tail and Toboe almost gasped at the harsh muzzle clamped around her mouth. She sniffed the meat cautiously and then began to tear tiny pieces away through the spaces in her muzzle. It was a slow process but Toboe waited patiently until she finished, his head cocked curiously to the side as he examined her. Red fur blended into cream and brown tuffs. Scars of all shapes and sizes littered her pelt, two jagged horizontal lines could be seen on her muzzle peeking out from underneath the metal.

"So, uh are you okay?" He asked, and then suddenly jumped back as she began to crawl out of the crevasse.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks…uh what's your name again?" She said as she casually stretched her sore muscles. Toboe paused, staring at the dozens of horrendous scars that marked her body and the two collars slung around her neck that he couldn't see before. She looked at him, waiting for a response. Toboe shook his head.

"My name's Toboe. What's yours?" Toboe replied.

"Dawn," She answered and then was interrupted by a snort. "Watch it, kid. Besides, what kind of name is Toboe?" She scolded.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my name. Granny gave it to me!" Toboe replied indignantly.

"Yeah, alright kid. Whatever you-ARCK!" Dawn abruptly sat down, groaning and cursing. Toboe stared at her in shock.

"Hey Toboe, wanna lend me a fang?" She inquired, shaking away remnants of the shock.

"Huh?" Toboe asked, approaching her cautiously. Dawn angled away from him and gave him instructions over her shoulder.

"Do you think you can break the clasps on the collar and the muzzle? They're a bit of a pain," She said, snorting at her own joke.

"Um, I can try," He replied before taking the steel between his teeth and tearing. A few minutes later, neither the collar nor the muzzle were off.

"I can't break it. But I bet Kiba could! Hige said he broke himself out of a steel cage before," Toboe suggested, panting lightly.

"Well then, lead the way to this 'Kiba' friend of yours," Dawn said, easing herself onto sore legs.

"Alright! You can meet Tsume, too! You already met Hige earlier," Toboe announced, shifting anxiously on his paws.

"Yeah, sorry about earlier by the way," She apologized as she walked next to the young wolf, her hind leg limping slightly.

"Don't worry about it. Tsume's the same way in the morning," Toboe joked lightly.


End file.
